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An Off-Ramp From ObamaCare

Mar 03, 2015 | Jared Powell •

A month ago today, the House voted – again – to repeal the President’s flawed health care law that has hurt Americans all across this country. But we did more than vote to repeal ObamaCare – we announced a task force, led by three committee chairmen, to propose a common-sense alternative.

This alternative is crucial in both the short-term and in the long-term. In the short-term, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week in King v. Burwell – yet another legal challenge to ObamaCare. If the Court rules against the Administration, millions would lose their subsidies, and the law would likely collapse.

In the long-term, this plan gives power back to the states, gives patients more choice, and makes health coverage more affordable. More power to individuals. Less power to Washington.

Here’s how the plan would work:

First, make coverage more affordable. Any state that uses our off-ramp would be able to opt out of ObamaCare’s insurance mandates. These coverage requirements are driving up costs, so eliminating them would empower individuals and families to choose from a wider range of plans that fit their personal needs and budgets. Our proposal will also allow participating states to opt out of ObamaCare’s burdensome individual and employer mandates, allowing Americans to purchase the coverage they want.

Second, help people buy coverage. Right now, those who get insurance through their employer get a lot of help from the tax code, while some people who buy insurance on their own, including potentially the millions of Americans the IRS put at risk, get no help at all. So we would offer those in the affected states a tax credit to buy insurance.

So here’s the bottom line: Under ObamaCare, government controls your choices. Under our proposal, you will. You’ll get to pick a plan that works for you. We look forward to building upon these ideas and working with our colleagues in the House and Senate, health-care experts and, most important, the American people, to put high-quality, affordable coverage within closer reach for all. And we’ll do it by putting Americans, not Washington, in the driver’s seat.